A learning pathway asks someone to make room for a sequence of activities alongside their work. Before they begin, they should be able to understand what the pathway will help them do, how much time it is likely to need and which step comes first.

Those details deserve as much attention as the course content. A pathway should help a learner navigate the work ahead without having to guess which resources matter or chase someone to explain what happens next.

Put the steps in a useful order

Imagine an experienced team member preparing to lead their first project planning meeting. Their pathway might begin with a worked example of a meeting plan, followed by time to prepare their own. They could discuss it with a colleague before leading the meeting and reviewing what happened.

Each step has a reason to sit where it does. The example gives context for preparation; the discussion offers help before the real task. Any required prerequisite should have an equally clear purpose. Explain the connection so learners understand why a later activity depends on an earlier one.

Check whether everyone needs the same starting point. Where the learning requirements allow it, discuss existing knowledge and agree a suitable route. Keep the expectations consistent while allowing for what people already bring to the task.

Show the commitment before people start

Give a realistic indication of the time required for each activity, including preparation and practice. If the pathway includes a conversation with a manager, say who should arrange it. Explain whether someone can pause midway through a task and where they should return.

Distinguish the time spent learning from the calendar period needed to complete the pathway. In the project meeting example, the person needs an actual meeting to lead. Setting a deadline without checking when that opportunity exists would create an avoidable obstacle.

Agree how learning time will fit around other responsibilities. Where someone works shifts or reduced hours, plan around their available working time. If the work changes, provide a clear way to discuss the schedule rather than leaving the learner to resolve a conflict alone.

Make the route accessible and the choices clear

CAST’s Universal Design for Learning guidelines encourage designers to anticipate barriers and offer different ways to access information and demonstrate learning. For a workplace pathway, this is a useful starting point for checking whether the route is workable for its intended learners. [1]

Use clear headings and readable documents. Where a video conveys essential information, provide accurate captions and an appropriate text alternative. Check that activities can be completed with the equipment and access people actually have, and make it easy to request adjustments or report a barrier.

Label required activities clearly. Explain how optional resources relate to the task so people can choose additional support without wondering whether they have missed an obligation. Keep essential instructions in the main route, where learners will encounter them.

Leave space for practice and review

Build a review into the pathway after someone has had a suitable opportunity to try the task. In our meeting example, that could be a short discussion about the decisions reached and anything the person would change next time.

A review should also examine the pathway itself. Ask where the learner had to wait, what felt unclear and which resource helped them prepare. If a step repeatedly stalls, find out whether the difficulty sits in the content, the instructions or the opportunity to practise.

Start with one pathway and follow it from the learner’s perspective. Make the next action clear at every stage, then check that the time and support needed to take it are actually available.

Source [1] CAST Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0 (2024)

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